Braiding-machine



H. C. LEWIS.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1912.

Patented. Nov. 25, 1919.

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HERBERT C. LEWIS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMIFANY, INCORPORATED, 013 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BRAIDING-MACHIN E.

Application filed April 29, 1918.

conductors proper are inserted within the.

inclosing braid and braided therein'for a proper length, then withdrawn from the braid for a proper length to form a tie cord for the cord proper for the purpose of preventing strain on the telephone conductors after being fastened in place.

. The main object of this invention is to provide an attachment for braiding machines whereby a continuous braid formed of alternate lengths of tie cord and conductor containing cord may be efficiently and rapidly braided and in which the tie cord will be strong, uniform in size, and economical in material.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided an attachment for braiding machines by means of which'the braid may be withdrawn from the spinning head at two different speeds a slower .onewhen the conductors are .being braided into the cord, and a higher one when the tie cord alone is being braided. In the preferred embodiment of this invention there is provided a compound capstan composed of two drums or pulleys of different diameters, the smaller diameter one being adapted to draw the braid when the conductors are being covered, the larger one when the tie cord is being formed. The heads of the iarger diameter drum may be their peripheries to facilitate the transfer of the braid from the smaller to the larger diameter drum.

the drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the attachment of this invention showing the tie cord being about completely formed and at a point where the conductors would be inserted;

Fig. 2 is a view of the devlce with the tie cord completely formed and part of the cord proper formed;

Specification of Letters Patent.

notched on I Patented Nov. 25, 1919..

Serial No. 231,378.

Fig. 3 is a view of the device with the cord proper completely formed and the conductors withdrawn from the braid,.and

Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the capstan showing the construction of the head of the larger diameter drum.

The particular embodiment of the invention consists of a compound capstan 10 suitably secured to a capstan shaft 11 and which is suitably driven from the main driving member of the braiding machine. The capstan 10 is of two diameters forming the drum s 12 and 13, drum 12 being of larger diameter and used to draw the tie cord part of conductor while being braided. The

smaller drum 13 is used to draw the cord proper while being braided. The circular concave face of drum 13 terminates inthe usual heads 1414, while heads 15-15 of drum 12 have notches'17--17 cut into. and in the reverse direction of rotation of the capstan and suitably spaced around their-peripheries.

In the operation of the machine as illustrated in Fig. 1, the threads coming from reciprocating bobbins mounted below the shaft 11 converge at a guide arm 18 passing through a slot therein, and are braided as they emerge therefrom, forming a tubular braid 19 which is passed around the capstan 12 and-up to a suitable take-up reel. This braid 19 forms the tie cord. ,When the proper length of tie cord has been braided,

the operator stops the machine and takes the braided loop from'capstan 12 down onto capstan 13, which is accomplished by lifting up on the loop, so enlargingtit enough to pass over the head 15, and at the same time inserts the conductors 20-20 between the converging threads, as shown in Fig. 2.

The cord proper 21, as shown being braided in Fig. 2, will continue until the proper length of the cord has been formed,

leaving a short length bf the conductors 2020 which are not covered. This length the operator will draw through the slot in guide arm 18 and outside of the converging threads, at the same time drawing up the loop of the braided conductor enough so as to place it over the notched head 15 and into one of the several notches 1717, as best shown in Fig. 3. These last mentioned manipulations of the cord while being braided do not require the stopping of the -machine. The machine is now braiding the tle'cord 19 again and due, to the cord proper 21 being placed in the notch 17 it will be drawn around the drum 12 at a greater speed than it would around drum 13, due to the greater diameter of drum 12.

In braiding telephone cords heretofore it has been customary to draw the entire cord at the same rate of speed, with the result that the tie cord, which is less than one half the diameter of the conductor containing' cord, would contain the same amount tachment of this invention the tie cord is braided much more rapidly with less material and with a weave which insures the maximum strength.

\Vhat is claimed is: 1. The combination with a braiding machine, of a braid drawing capstan therefor having two different diameter winding sur-- faces one-adapted to draw the braid at one speed the other adapted to draw it at a different speed, and one of said different diameter winding surfaces provided with means for transferring said braid from .one of said surfaces to said other surface. 2. The combination with a braiding machine, of a braid drawing capstan therefor having two different diameter winding sur- 1 faces, and one of said different diameter winding surfaces provided with means for transferring said braid from the surface of one diameter tothe other diameter surface.

3. A braiding machine having, in comtransferring said braid from the surface of one diameter to the other diameter surface.

4:. A braiding machine having, in combination, a braid drawing capstan therefor having-two different diameter winding sur faces, and the winding surface of the largest diameter being providedwith notches cut in its periphery and extending'in the reverse direction of rotation of said capstan for transferring said braid from the winding surface of the smaller diameter to the winding surface ofthe largest diameter,

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of April A. D., 1918.

\ HERBERT C. LEWIS. 

